Hiking

Avid adventurer or occasional ambler, hardened athlete or eager visitor, hiking amid Québec’s most breathtaking scenery gives you access to places that can only reached by foot. »

Québec is liberally strewn with trails for everyone, from the casual rambler to the seasoned hiker. You'll find over 6,000 km of trails accessible to hikers, with close to 40% located in the Gaspésie, the Laurentians and Eastern Townships regions.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the coureurs des bois (woodsmen) travelled by foot and canoe through Amerindian lands to conduct illicit fur trading. These intrepid explorers played a pivotal role in opening the continent to European settlers and forging economic relations with the Aboriginals.

The Gaspésie region, a must for hiking enthusiasts, features six of Québec’s 20 highest peaks. Those fond of long walking tours will enjoy the International Appalachian Trail, which covers more than 650 km of the area from east to west. Chances are you’ll cross paths with at least one of the area’s many caribous on your hike!

• Northern: The deciduous trees that make up most of the Laurentian forest are simply breathtaking, especially in the fall when the leaves change. This type of forest is mostly made up of sugar maple and yellow birch trees.

• Boreal : Just further north, the boreal forest (taiga) is resistant to cold and features coniferous and resinous trees such as pine, fir, spruce and larch trees .

• Arctic: For a complete change of scenery, the James Bay, Eeyou Istchee and Nunavik areas of the Nord-du-Québec region offer a landscape of swaying grasses and sedges, lichens, mosses and small shrubs.

Hikers can learn about the rich flora and fauna along the trails that bears, wolves, foxes, beavers, moose, caribous and other species all call home. Interpretation panels along the trail inform hikers of the surrounding wildlife. Amateur bird watchers will also be in their element, as these forests and wetlands home to many bird species.

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Nine tourist areas selected among the 20 highest climbable summits in Québec offer spectacular views. Hike the trails, from the Laurentian forest to the alpine tundra, while trekking through the boreal forest along the way!

• Mont d’Iberville (1,652 m), Parc national Kuururjuaq (Nunavik). This northern trail across the Torngat Mountains is the highest peak in Québec. Level: very difficult.

• Acropole des draveurs (1,048 m), Parc National des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie (11.2 km round trip), (Charlevoix). The steepest trail in Québec, with a landscape that changes from maple groves to the alpine tundra as you climb. Spot caribou, mink and eagles along the way. Level: difficult.

• Mont Veyrier (1,104 m), Monts Groulx, unmarked path (Manicouagan). For expert hikers only. From its peak, you can see the Manicouagan Reservoir, one of the world’s largest craters. Level: very difficult.

• Pic Johannsen (935 m), Parc National du Mont-Tremblant (14,6 km, round trip), (Laurentians). Trail running along a stream dotted with waterfalls. Features a few lookouts on the way up over the valleys of the rivière de la Diable and rivière Rouge. The view from the summit is partially obstructed by vegetation. Level: difficult.

• Mont Sainte-Anne (800 m), Mont Sainte-Anne (9 km, round trip), (Québec City). This panoramic trail offers breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and île d’Orléans, with several lookouts on the way up. Level: easy to very difficult.

The longest hiking trails in Québec have something in store for explorers and adventurers alike. You’ll need plenty of endurance and perseverance to successfully tackle these treks!

• National Trail in Québec (1075 km), (province of Québec). This hiking trail crosses Québec’s nine tourist regions, passing through national and regional parks, controlled harvesting zones, outfitting camps and private land. It also connects to other Canadian provinces. Level: easy to difficult.

• Sentiers frontaliers (135 km) (Eastern Townships). This hiking trail follows the border between Canada and the United States. On the Québec side, it connects the Parc national du Mont Mégantic to the mont Gosford. Level: intermediate.

• Sentier national au Bas-Saint-Laurent (144 km) (Bas-Saint-Laurent). Hiking trail divided into 12 sections connecting Dégelis to Trois-Pistoles. Part of this trail runs along the St. Lawrence River. Level: easy to intermediate.

• La Traversée de Charlevoix (105 km) (Charlevoix). Hiking trail that links the Parc national des Grands-Jardins to the mont Grand-Fonds in La Malbaie. Features a challenging hike due to the many peaks along the way. Level: difficult.

• Canyon des Portes des l’Enfer (12.8 km), (Bas-Saint-Laurent). Pass through the Gates of Hell on your way down the 300 steps to the rivière Rimouski and take in the landscape from Québec’s highest footbridge, 63 metres above ground! Level: easy and intermediate.

• Parc national d’Aiguebelle (46 km), (Abitibi-Témiscamingue). This park is home to the largest moose population in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. You might even spot one from the top of a suspended walkway! Levels: easy to difficult.

• Domaine de la Seigneurie (15 km), (Chaudière-Appalaches). This park is home to the largest collection of lilac cultivars in North America. Levels: easy and intermediate.

• Parc de la caverne du Trou de la fée, (4 km) (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean). Trail on the edge of a magnificent canyon. Walk along a footbridge suspended between rock walls. Try out spelunking as you discover the granite cavern known as the Trou de la fée (Fairy’s Cave)! Level: intermediate.

• La Marche d’Alphonse (100 km), (Laurentians). This walking path in the Oka area winds its way through city streets, country roads, bike paths and hiking trails in the Parc national d’Oka. Level: easy.

• Sentier Notre-Dame Kapatakan (215 km), (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean). Also known as the Canadian “Little Compostela,” this hiking trail connects Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay, Cap Trinité de Rivière-Éternité and Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, up to the national sanctuary of Ermitage Saint-Antoine de Lac-Bouchette. Level: intermediate.

Leave the city’s hustle and bustle behind and enjoy the quiet calm of hiking trails located in the urban parks of Montréal and Québec City. Get ready to unwind!

Montréal

• Parc du Mont-Royal (40 km). A 234-meter high wooded mountain in the heart of Montréal. Lookouts around the mountain offer impressive city views. Level: easy and intermediate.

• Parc Jean-Drapeau (25 km). Located on an island in the St. Lawrence River, this urban park is reachable by metro or river shuttle. Spectacular views of Montréal! Level: easy.

• Parc nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques (16 km). Located on the western tip of the city of Montréal, this park offers several scenic lookouts from the waterfront. Level: easy.

Québec City

• Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (17km). Located in Old Québec, this park along the St. Lawrence River is a historic site where the battle between the French and the British Empire took place in 1759. Level: easy.